


full bloom

by royalnine



Category: SK8 the Infinity (Anime)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon Universe, Confessions, Denial of Feelings, Falling In Love, Heartbreak, Jealousy, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, One Shot, Requited Love, Skating, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-16 02:35:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29943213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/royalnine/pseuds/royalnine
Summary: When Sakurayashiki Kaoru got his heart broken from his first love, he found comfort in the arms of his best friend, Nanjo Kojiro. But when he asked Carla if it is normal to want to punch your best friend and kiss them at the same time, the answer made him realize one thing; he is in deep shit.
Relationships: Nanjo Kojiro | Joe/Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom
Kudos: 63





	full bloom

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for clicking on this fic. I'm still new to writing fics so please bear with the grammatical errors and other stuff. I still hope you'll enjoy reading.
> 
> I got inspiration from this tweet of matchasblossom on twitter.
> 
> Please check out this link. Thank you very much.

“D-Do you have time after school, Sakurayashiki-senpai?” Kojiro’s ears perked up upon hearing the name of his best friend. He quietly peeked and saw Kaoru standing in front of an obviously blushing girl beside the lockers.

“No. I have somewhere to go,” Kaoru answered and the girl’s smile immediately turned into a frown.

Kojiro just let out a sigh, letting the girl walk away first before coming out and approaching his friend.

“Man, you really need to stop acting so cold around potential love interests, you know?” he says, putting an arm around Kaoru’s shoulder to which the boy immediately pushed away.

“I am not interested,” Kaoru simply says before starting to walk towards their next class.

Kojiro watched as Kaoru walks in front of him, a sad smile slowly forming on his face.

“If you don’t hurry you’ll be late again!” Kaoru shouted without looking back and Kojiro’s smile grew wider before running to catch up with him.

Kojiro and Kaoru have been friends for a long time. They have been through a lot together. They first rode a bike together, skipped school together, started skating together, and will probably continue experiencing things for the first time with each other. They have been together for that long.

That Kojiro wasn’t surprised anymore.

“Do you have time after school, Kojiro?” Kaoru suddenly asked and it caught Kojiro off guard.

“H-Huh? Why?” he asked, silently cursing himself for stuttering.

“We’re going to meet up with the group that’s been invading our skating area lately,” Kaoru answered and Kojiro let out an, ‘oh’.

So much for being hopeful.

“Yeah, I have time,” he said with a smile, trying hard to mask his disappointment.

Nanjo Kojiro, seventeen, second year, green haired, skater, and a dumbass who has a one-sided love on his best friend, Sakurayashiki Kaoru.

* * *

“Kaoru, are you sure those guys aren’t dangerous?” Kojiro asked while they’re skating on their way to their skating area.

Kaoru looked back at him and Kojiro almost gasped at how beautiful the moonlight highlighted his features and his hair perfectly if it wasn’t for the unknown worry sitting in the pit of his stomach.

“Don’t worry. We will try to settle this with just skateboarding,” Kaoru says and Kojiro just sighed at his friend’s recklessness.

_Ah, whatever makes him happy._

“They’re here,” Kojiro says as soon as he saw a group of guys standing in their area.

They hopped off their skateboards and started walking towards the said group. There were five of them but one person caught Kojiro’s attention. They were wearing a hood, covering their face as if they do not want anyone to recognize them.

“Are you all here? Let’s start now,” someone from the group said.

Kojiro leaned closer to Kaoru to whisper in his ear. “Have you guys already talked to them?”

“They did,” Kaoru says, pointing to their other companions and he just nodded in understanding.

They watched as the other group made a pile of skateboards sitting on top of each other. And once they are finished, they pointed at their group, allowing them to go first.

 _‘I’ll do it.’_ Kojiro thought to himself before stepping forward but was pulled back by Kaoru who immediately rode his board, jumping just directly above the pile of the skateboards easily.

Once Kaoru landed perfectly, he gave the other group a smug smile, making Kojiro let out a smile too.

But his worry rose once again when he saw the hooded guy smiling as well. Kaoru went back beside him and it was now the other group’s turn.

The hooded guy soon came forward and launched himself in the air, making everyone look at him with awe. He was way above the pile of skateboards, way above everybody else, before landing perfectly.

Kojiro was impressed. He turned to Kaoru to say something but stopped when he saw his eyes glued on the guy who just took flight a moment ago.

“Can I propose something?” the hooded guy spoke and Kaoru snapped out of his reverie.

“What kind of proposal?” he asked and Kojiro found himself listening closely to their conversation.

“Let us just share this skating area. We aren’t causing trouble anyway and we don’t have any plans of doing so. We could all just skate together.”

“Deal,” Kaoru answered almost instantly, leaving Kojiro in shock.

He wanted to say something. But what exactly is he going to say? It is a good proposal. They can learn some tips regarding skating from them and vice versa.

But why does he want to object if it is beneficial?

His eyes once again landed on Kaoru who was wearing the same face that he had when he saw the hooded guy in the air.

One look at him and Kojiro let out a sigh.

_Falling in love with him is going to be a serious problem._

* * *

“Adam, since when have you started skateboarding?” Kojiro asked the hooded guy while they were waiting for Kaoru to arrive.

“Since I was a kid,” he answers and Kojiro only nodded.

“Did you learn it by yourself?” Kojiro asks once again and Adam froze, making Kojiro raise an eyebrow in concern.

“No. Someone taught me,” Adam simply says and Kojiro stared at him for a while before letting out an, ‘okay’.

Kojiro continued observing Adam who was just playing with his board. It has been a while since they first met Adam but they still have no idea what he looks like. He still wears the same hoodie to hide his face.

But for some reason...

“Sorry I’m late. The meeting took longer than usual,” Kaoru says as soon as he shows up and Kojiro straightened himself.

“I’m still surprised that you’re actually a good student. You don’t quite look like it,” Adam commented and Kaoru frowned, playfully hitting Adam’s shoulder.

“It must be the piercings,” Kojiro says with a smile, his eyes unconsciously landing on Adam’s shoulder.

“So what are we doing today?” Kaoru asks looking at Kojiro who just shrugged.

The both of them looked at Adam who just let out a smile.

“Race to the usual spot?” he asks and Kaoru and Kojiro looked at each other before looking back at him.

“You’re on.”

“Game.”

* * *

“Hey! You’re not allowed here!” The voices of the police alerted them and they began to accelerate their speed.

Kojiro almost fell off his board in surprise when Adam suddenly placed his arms on their shoulders, a smile painted on his lips.

Kojiro did the same, his smile widening when he saw Kaoru wearing a big smile. He wishes that this moment would last forever. This happiness and this feeling.

Adam was in the lead, followed by Kaoru, and then Kojiro. The police went on a different direction so now they are back to the race.

Kojiro doesn’t really care about the race for he was just admiring Kaoru from behind. The way his long, pink hair dances in the air, his form, and just everything about him.

Kojiro snapped out of his daydreaming when he saw Kaoru lose balance. He was about to catch him when a different pair of arms reached Kaoru before him.

Adam’s hand wrapped around Kaoru’s waist, immediately stopping him from falling. Kojiro watched as Kaoru stared at Adam in that position for God knows how long, his hands falling limp to his sides.

“Are you okay?” Kojiro asked, jogging towards them, ignoring the sudden wave of pain that hit him earlier.

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine,” Kaoru answers and his red ears didn’t escape from Kojiro’s eyes.

_Ah._

“What the hell, man? Losing balance out of nowhere?” he teased, distracting himself from the pain while they both playfully throw punches at each other.

He laughed at his reaction and stared at him for a while. He noticed him looking forward and he followed his eyes and saw Adam removing his hood.

“Adam, your hood...” Kaoru says and Adam looked back at the both of them, finally letting them see his face for the first time.

“Oh... it doesn’t matter if you see me,” Adam says, his red eyes glistening.

“You guys are special.”

Kojiro smiled a little from his words. He was glad that Adam found friends in them.

His eyes then landed on Kaoru who was looking at Adam with the same eyes that he did when they first met.

Kojiro placed a hand on his chest when he felt another wave of pain hit him. He looked back at Kaoru and let out a small pained smile.

_I get it now, Kaoru._

* * *

“Are you listening? Answer me, Adam! Why have you changed?” Kaoru asks him in a loud voice.

Kojiro stood behind them, watching their old friend disappear from their sights.

“Humans are subject to change, right?” Adam simply answers and Kojiro shook his head in frustration.

“If so, change once more! Don’t skate like that anymore!” Kaoru pleaded once more.

“No way. Besides, I don’t have time left,” Adam coldly says, looking away from the two of them.

“I will be leaving for America tomorrow.”

Both Kaoru and Kojiro froze upon hearing Adam’s words, all their time together replaying in their heads. Their moments together that probably won’t happen anymore if he leaves.

“I have to move on from playing with you guys now.”

“Adam, wait... Adam!” Kaoru shouted, chasing over Adam who only ignored him and went straight inside his car.

The car drove off leaving Kaoru calling for Adam and Kojiro behind in their usual spot.

“Kaoru...” Kojiro called while Kaoru ignored him, his eyes fixed on Adam’s car going farther and farther from their reach.

A tear ran down on Kaoru’s cheek, surprising Kojiro. But he immediately recovered for he pulled him to his chest, embracing the boy tightly.

“Kojiro?” Kaoru asked in confusion, his voice unconsciously breaking.

Kojiro closed his eyes tight as he told himself to endure the pain he’s feeling.

“Kaoru... tell him what you really feel,” he tells him, evey word coming out of his mouth tasting like venom.

He felt Kaoru’s body freeze under his hug and he buried his face on his shoulder.

“W-What are you talking about?” he asked him and Kojiro let out a laugh.

“Kaoru, we’ve been friends for forever. I know you better more than anyone else,” he says and he felt Kaoru going away from the hug.

“Forget it. He’s already leaving tomorrow,” Kaoru says and Kojiro only let out a smile.

“Good luck, Kaoru,” he says, ignoring his words and Kaoru gave him an angry stare.

“I said I’m not doing it,” Kaoru says in a harsh tone, looking back at the direction Adam’s car drove off to.

Kojiro watched as the guy he’s been in love with for years suffer from loving someone who doesn’t love him back.

Just like him.

_I am hopeless._

* * *

“So what are you doing after high school?” Kaoru asks while they were hanging out at Kojiro’s house one day.

“Didn’t you taste the pasta you just ate? I’m going to be an Italian chef,” Kojiro announces proudly and Kaoru scoffed at his words.

“You can’t be an Italian chef. You’re Japanese,” he says and Kojiro glared at him.

“Let’s see about you then,” Kojiro muses, interested but also ready to tease Kaoru at any given moment.

“I’m going to be a calligrapher,” Kaoru calmly says and Kojiro bursted into laughter, pissing him off.

“What?!” he asked, ready to smack the shit out of his friend.

Kojiro caught his breath for a moment before speaking. “Nothing. It’s just very much like you to say that,” he says with a smile.

Kaoru felt awkward for some reason so he decided to change the topic. “You have a pool right?”

Kojiro looked at him, weirded out by his sudden question. “Yeah, why?”

Kaoru said nothing and only stood up to make his way to the pool. The sun was scorching hot today and he was itching to drench himself.

He took off only his shirt and immediately jumped into the water, sighing in content when the cold reached his skin.

“Hey! What about your clothes?” A running Kojiro said and he looked back at him.

“I always have a spare in my bag,” he says nonchalantly and Kojiro just sighed.

“Guess I’ll join you then,” he says, taking his shirt off and Kaoru found himself looking.

“I heard you started working out,” he commented as soon as he took a good look of Kojiro’s body.

“You can tell?” Kojiro asked, posing like a madman and he just rolled his eyes at him.

“Cold!” Kojiro hissed as soon as he took a dip, regretting his decision and Kaoru just smirked at his silly reaction earning a ‘what?’ from him.

There was silence and they stayed in the pool for what seemed like a long time. And it might be the heat of the sun and the coldness of the pool getting to him but Kojiro decided to open his mouth to speak.

“I like you.”

Kaoru blinked. He turned to look at Kojiro beside him who was just looking straight ahead.

 _‘Am I hearing things?’_ he asked to himself and was about to be convinced that he is when Kojiro spoke once again.

“I know you like Adam but I don’t know, I just wanted to get this off my chest somehow,” he says, finally turning to look at Kaoru, his red eyes meeting his golden ones.

Kaoru’s eyes widened when the situation dawned to him.

“What...are you saying?” were the words he could only say.

Kojiro only smiled at him before going out of the pool and handing him a towel.

“You should get out of the pool soon or you’ll catch a cold,” he told him before walking into his house leaving a very shocked and very confused Kaoru behind.

Kojiro collapsed on the floor, covering his face with both of his hands as soon as he closed the door to his room.

_Holy shit, I said it. I said it. Did I really just say it?_

“I’m so stupid...” he mutters to himself while sitting on the cold floor of his room.

His eyes landed on the calendar across the room, the bright red circle capturing his attention.

Why did he decide to confess his feelings now? Maybe it’s because he wanted to lift this weight off his chest before flying to Italy to study about Italian cuisine. Or maybe it’s because some part of him is hoping that he’ll have a chance now that Adam is gone.

To be honest, he doesn’t really know either.

“I’ll be going on ahead,” Kaoru says, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

“Take care,” Kojiro tells him, closing the door as soon as he left.

And that was the last time they spoke to each other.

Or so he thought.

“What are you doing here?!” Kojiro almost yelled as soon as he saw a familiar pink-haired guy skateboarding in the streets of Paris.

It has been six months ever since he left Japan to study in Italy and his last conversation with Kaoru was when he left his house the day he confessed.

“I should be the one asking you that, idiot. I thought you were in Italy,” Kaoru says in an irritated voice and Kojiro felt his heart thumping at the sound.

Oh how he misses that voice so much.

“I visited an acquaintance here,” he simply answers still taking in the appearance of that person he wishes to forget.

But fate seems to have another plan.

_I just keep getting pulled towards you, huh._

* * *

“Joe, I love you!”

“Lord Cherry! You are beautiful today as always!”

The screams of the girls reached Kaoru’s ears as soon as he arrived at S at the same time with Kojiro.

Kaoru looked at his side and saw Kojiro waving at the women with a smile painted on his face.  
  
_This gorilla sure loves the attention, huh._  
  
He never would have pegged him as a ladies’ man back then. Kojiro to him was just his best friend that was always there to tease him at any given moment. Reliable, sweet, and almost innocent. They never talked about women, crushes, and relationships in general.  
  
Except that one time.  
  
After running into each other in Paris, they’ve been together again just like how they were when they were still little kids. They experienced things for the first time together. They visited a bar in Paris, tried restaurants in America, and travelled the world together.  
  
Just like two very good friends.  
  
But in those span of time that they’ve been together overseas, Kaoru began to notice Kojiro’s changes. He didn’t really change that much aside from his physical build who changed drastically. But Kojiro started messing around more than he normally does. And whenever Kaoru looks at him, he always has a girl or two accompanying him.  
  
And for some reason, even though they are always together, Kaoru feels like there is a wall between them, separating the two of them from each other.  
  
Maybe it was because of what Kojiro told him before flying to Italy. Maybe it is not. Kaoru doesn’t know. He never brought up the topic ever. Kojiro’s smiles gave him the feeling that he doesn’t want him to talk about it. So he didn’t.  
  
And even if he did want to talk about it, he wouldn’t know where to start and what to say.  
  
So he just let the confession pass, like it was nothing.  
  
But he can’t lie to himself. Kojiro confessing to him is still fresh in his memory. There isn’t a time when he doesn’t think about that every time Kojiro’s with him.  
  
It’s been years so it shouldn’t bother him anymore. But somehow, it still does and it is driving him insane.  
  
Maybe it was just the shock of finding out that your best friend for a long time has feelings for you. Or maybe not.  
  
Kaoru still doesn’t know.  
  
“Carla, calculate the angle,” he says, looking straight ahead.  
  
“Okay, Master,” Carla, his AI skateboard and assistant answered.  
  
“162 degrees.”  
  
“What fun is there in skating according to calculations?” Kojiro suddenly says, appearing beside him.  
  
He accelerated his speed and flew above a ramp, putting a hand on it and then flipping himself back down.  
  
“Skating is all about a feeling, you know what I mean?” Kojiro tells him with a smirk and Kaoru felt warm all of a sudden but it soon faded when Kojiro almost fell out of balance on his board.  
  
“Idiot,” he says before speeding up, leaving Kojiro behind.  
  
“Like I’d let you!” he hears him saying before shortly catching up to him.  
  
“Carla, let this idiot know,” Kaoru orders to which Carla immediately complied.  
  
“The cornering from Joe just now is 65%. It is highly inefficient.”  
  
“Machines stay quiet,” Kojiro retorted and Kaoru clicked his tongue in annoyance.  
  
“That’s Carla, not a machine!” he exclaims, leaning forward to Kojiro.  
  
“Don’t give your skateboard a chick’s name! That’s creepy, man!” Kojiro said in reply, leaning close to Kaoru as well.  
  
Kaoru backed off a little because the lack of distance between them made him uncomfortable for some reason.  
  
“Don’t talk to me in gorilla talk!” he shouted at Kojiro, trying to get his attention away from what he just felt.  
  
The crowd watched the two of them throw insults at each other while trying to push the other off their board.  
  
“Those two still don’t get along, do they?”

* * *

“W-What are you doing here?!” Kojiro exclaimed after seeing Kaoru in front of his restaurant in a wheelchair.  
  
He was just about to go back to the hospital to check up on him but the patient was the one who went to him.  
  
One that’s far from recovered.  
  
“Are you an idiot? Sneaking out of the hospital like that...” he says, looking at him in surprise.  
  
“No problem. It’s only a scratch,” Kaoru tells him, his AI wheelchair moving on its own.  
  
Kojiro sighs at his friend’s stubbornness. “You’re looking like a mummy!”  
  
“An honorable wound! You haven’t gone up against Adam after all,” Kaoru replied in a teasing tone and Kojiro scoffed.  
  
“I would’ve won!”  
  
“Shut up. You lost against a rookie,” Kaoru says, fanning himself with his fan.  
  
Kojiro leaned forward on the table. “That’s no ordinary rookie. He might be a monster that’s even worse than Adam.”  
  
Kaoru reached for a wine bottle and attempted to pour himself a glass. “You’re overestimating him. Adam is more...it’s empty.”  
  
Kojiro tensed up after hearing Kaoru mention Adam in a longing tone.  
  
“You bring the next one!” he tells him, diverting his attention from what just happened.  
  
“I’m injured,” Kaoru excused, motioning to his bandages.  
  
“Don’t talk big,” Kojiro says but got up to bring him a wine anyway.  
  
Once he reached the cellar, his mind drifted off to Adam and Kaoru. He knew Kaoru must be in pain right now for no one expected that Adam would bear to hurt him. Not even Kaoru himself.  
  
But seeing Kaoru in that state makes it harder for him to breathe too. Seeing the person you love in pain because of someone else hurts so much.  
  
He tried to push away the thoughts as he carries the wine to Kaoru’s location.  
  
“Is a white okay? A Lafite－” he stopped mid-sentence when he saw Kaoru sleeping peacefully, his head on the table.  
  
He let out a sigh before pulling out the chair beside Kaoru and sitting there.  
  
“Adam is currently skating all by himself,” he started, even though he knows Kaoru can’t hear him.  
  
He began pouring a glass for him and for Kaoru. “He’s an amazing skater but I’m sure he’s not happy right now. That’s why his skating ends up that way.”  
  
He stopped.  
  
“But you know, we’re not alone,” he says, his eyes landing on his best friend’s face.  
  
He let out a soft smile upon seeing his peaceful state.  
  
“Right...Kaoru?”  
  
_Even after all these years, it’s still you._

* * *

“No way! Snake won against Adam?” The crowd buzzed after the race. No one could believe it. The unbeatable Adam lost to a totally unknown skater.  
  
Kaoru watched as Adam stood up from his crouched position earlier, his hair hiding his eyes and his emotions while Snake, or his secretary Tadashi, watches him.  
  
No words were exchanged between the two. Instead, Adam began walking away from everyone. Just like before. It felt so familiar that Kaoru’s legs began to move on its own.  
  
“Kaoru!” Kojiro’s voice made him stop and he looked back at him only to face with his indescribable face.  
  
Kaoru couldn’t tell what kind of face Kojiro is making right now. His eyebrows are scrunched, his eyes are soft, and his parted lips are slightly shaking, like he wanted to say something but nothing came out after.  
  
“I’m going to talk to him,” he simply tells him before his legs started running towards Adam.  
  
This is his chance. The chance that wasn’t given to him back then, the day when Adam left.  
  
The chance to tell him what he really feels.  
  
“Adam!” He called out as soon as he caught up with him.  
  
Adam stopped walking and Kaoru stood behind him, his chest heaving a sigh of relief.  
  
“What do you want?” Adam asks in an unusually soft voice and it caught him off guard.  
  
“Are you alright?” he could only ask him and Adam laughed at his words.  
  
“Come on, stop pretending that you care. Go on, laugh. Laugh at me all you want. Call me a loser. Go on,” Adam mocks and Kaoru clenched his teeth in annoyance.  
  
“I am not here to make fun of you,” he tells him and Adam only let out a forced laugh.  
  
“Then what are you here for then? Fucking spit it－” He cut Adam off.  
  
“I like you.”  
  
As soon as those words escaped from his mouth, Kaoru felt uncomfortable. The words felt foreign. As if this moment was the only time he was thinking about it.  
  
“Liked...is what I meant to say...” he added, confusion clouding his mind and Adam laughed upon hearing him.  
  
“I thought you were a smart one, Cherry. But it seems like everyone really do become a fool when it comes to love,” Adam says, spreading both of his arms and Kaoru just looked at him with furrowed eyebrows.  
  
“Anyway, it doesn’t matter if you like me. Because you are not my Eve,” he simply says before turning around and walking away.  
  
Kaoru stood there in place, unmoving and dumbfounded. He placed a hand over his chest and bit his lip in frustration.  
  
_Why...?_  
  
“Cherry! What did Adam say?” Shadow asked as soon as he got back from the group.  
  
“Nothing,” he simply says before taking a good look of the group.  
  
Someone is missing.  
  
“Langa, where’s Joe?” he asked the blue-haired teen who just shrugged.  
  
“Joe disappeared shortly after you went after Adam,” Reki tells him and his mind wandered to his friend.  
  
_‘I need to talk to him.’_ he tells himself before immediately hopping onto his motorcycle and driving to Kojiro’s place.  
  
He was sure that he liked Adam for a while back then and he thinks that he still liked him until now.  
  
So why...  
  
As soon as he arrived at his doorstep, he rang the doorbell but no one answered. Feeling impatient, he opened the door, only to find it unlocked, and welcomed himself in.  
  
_That gorilla really needs to take extra precaution._  
  
The living room was dark with no lights turned on and so he found himself climbing up the stairs and making his way to Kojiro’s room.  
  
He didn’t bother to knock and so he just turned the knob, which was unsurprisingly unlocked, and pushed the door open.  
  
“Koji－” His name got caught in Kaoru’s throat when his eyes witnessed something he doesn’t want to see.  
  
A half naked Kojiro was above an also half naked woman and they are kissing each other fervently. They both separated quickly from each other as soon as the door opened.  
  
Kojiro’s eyes were wide open in shock as he desperarely tries to fix himself.  
  
“K-Kaoru, what are you do－” Kaoru didn’t let him finish.  
  
“Sorry, please continue. I didn’t mean to intervene,” he says bitterly before quickly walking away from the room, ignoring Kojiro’s calls.  
  
He immediately rode his motorcycle and quickly drove the hell away from Kojiro’s house. The image that he saw seems to be tattoed in his mind forever and something in him wants to pull out his brain and throw it away just to get rid of that unwanted memory.  
  
He doesn’t want to see his best friend making out with a girl. He doesn’t need to see him living his best life right after his best friend just got rejected.  
  
Kaoru doesn’t want to see him like that.  
  
As soon as he got home, Kaoru plopped onto his bed and stared at the glow in the dark stars on his ceiling.  
  
He wants to sleep. He badly wants to sleep but he can’t.  
  
His mind drifted to Adam and the events that happened today. He told him his feelings only to get rejected but for some reason...  
  
Kaoru placed a hand over his chest.  
  
For some reason, it doesn’t hurt at all. The person he likes rejected him but he doesn’t feel anything at all.  
  
Meanwhile with Joe, his heart started to race. He believe it was because of anger. He wants to yell and give his best friend a beating for enjoying himself while he’s out here rejected by his first love.  
  
_‘But he doesn’t know that yet.’_ he suddenly realized and because of that, his head started hurting even more.  
  
He almost jumped off his bed when his phone started ringing. He lazily reached for it, only to see Kojiro’s name. He just let his phone ring and put it away, not wanting to talk to Kojiro or hear his voice at the moment.  
  
He closed his eyes and tried falling asleep. But as soon as he closed his eyes, the image of Kojiro kissing someone appeared on his mind and he sprang up from his bed, irritated.  
  
“Carla, play some lullabies,” he orders while he’s lying back down.  
  
“Okay, Master,” Carla says before a familiar tune started playing, a smile immediately forming on Kaoru’s lips.  
  
The song must have struck something in Kaoru for he suddenly started to remember the past. All his memories with Kojiro. Starting from when they were young, their high school days, when they were travelling the world, and up to the present.  
  
“Carla,” he called, his arm covering his eyes.  
  
“Yes, Master?”  
  
“Is it normal to want to punch your best friend and kiss them at the same time?” he asked without thinking.  
  
After realizing what he just said, Kaoru rose in panic. “Carla, nevermind what I just said. Resta－”  
  
“Master, the results say that it is not normal for best friends to kiss or want to kiss each other. It says that if that is the case, chances are there are romantic feelings involved－”  
  
“STOP!” he yelled at Carla which immediately stopped relaying information, leaving his master as a flustered, angry, and confused mess.  
  
His phone rang once again and he was about to reject the call assuming that it was Kojiro when he saw Miya’s name as the Caller ID instead.  
  
He accepts the call and put his phone on his ear.  
  
“What is it?” he asked and he heard pages being flipped from the other line.  
  
“Are you being an idiot right now?” Miya asks cooly and Kaoru caught himself off guard from his question.  
  
“What are you talking about?”  
  
“I was feeling restless and it sometimes means that my idiot senses are tingling. Meaning, someone’s being an idiot. I figured it was you,” Miya says nonchalantly and Kaoru found himself getting irritated.  
  
“And why would you think that I out of all people is being an idiot?” he asks him, trying to keep his cool.  
  
“It’s already late and as far as I know, you are the only one aside from me that has a high probability of being awake at this time,” Miya explains while flipping another page of his book.  
  
Kaoru just sighed after hearing his explanation. “Now what?”  
  
“Is it about dad?” Miya asks and Kaoru’s forehead creased in confusion.  
  
He was about to ask the child about what does his father have to do with all of this when he suddenly remembered that it’s Miya’s silly nickname for Kojiro.  
  
“You can talk to me, you know,” Miya tells him when he didn’t answer and Kaoru closed his eyes.  
  
“What does a child like you even know?” he genuinely asked, but ended up sounding rude.  
  
He heard Miya clicking his tongue from the other line before responding. “I know that you like Joe.”  
  
Kaoru’s eyes snapped open as soon as he heard those words come out of Miya’s mouth.  
  
“What are you even talking about? We’re best friends,” he tells him and Miya let out a fake laugh.  
  
“Yeah right. You don’t listen to your best friend’s voice every night just to fall asleep you know,” he says in a mischievous tone and Kaoru felt panic rush in his veins.  
  
“How do you－What did you do to Carla when I lend her to you?!” he asks him in a loud voice while Miya just laughs maniacally in the background.  
  
“You don’t make your best friend’s singing your lullaby, _mom_ ,” he continued teasing him and Kaoru’s face felt hot from the embarrassment.  
  
“It’s nothing like that! It was a song from our childhood that relaxes me and it just kinda helps me fall asleep fast. That’s all,” he says in a very defensive tone.  
  
“I don’t know what’s going on between the two of you but if you feel something, you have to say it,” Miya advices and Kaoru let out a sigh.  
  
“How old are you again?” he asked.  
  
“I am thirteen,” he proudly says and Kaoru let out a smirk.  
  
“Well, thirteen year-old boy who won’t probably grow taller due to lack of sleep, I am hanging up now,” he teases him and he heard him exclaim a, ‘what?!’ from the other line.  
  
“WHAT DID YOU SA－”  
  
Kaoru let out a long sigh as he stared at the stars on his ceiling. He feels like his mind is about to explode from all of his thoughts.  
  
_I guess I’m not a normal best friend after all._

* * *

Kaoru woke up to the sound of someone ringing the doorbell. He groggily got up and put on his glasses while making his way to the door, ready to shout at anyone disturbing him.  
  
Completely forgetting about Kojiro.  
  
So when he opened the door and was met with his best friend’s face, he didn’t know what to do. Out of reflex, he pushed the door close.  
  
But what fight could he possibly put up against someone as big as Kojiro?  
  
“Can we please talk?” Kojiro says in a hoarse voice and Kaoru’s legs suddenly felt like jelly.  
  
He tried hard to maintain his composure and made it feel like nothing so he let him inside his house, leaving him in the living room while he enters the bathroom to clean up.  
  
As soon as he closed the door, he brought his hands to his face. He felt dizzy all of a sudden and when he turned to look at his reflection in the mirror, he almost shouted in horror.  
  
He was red. Obviously really red.  
  
_‘Did Kojiro notice?’_ he immediately thought but Kojiro’s face didn’t show any sign of playfulness earlier so he assumed that he didn’t, making him heave a sigh of relief.  
  
_So much for being aware of your own feelings._  
  
Kaoru found Kojiro just quietly sitting in his sofa when he got out of the bathroom. He turned his attention away from him and just bothered himself with cooking his breakfast.  
  
And maybe Kojiro’s too.  
  
“Do you need help?” Kaoru almost jumped when he heard Kojiro’s voice from behind.  
  
He looked back and saw him standing close, still wearing the same depressed face.  
  
He cleared his throat and turned his back at him. “No, it’s fine. You’re a guest here so just sit there.”  
  
While frying the eggs, it dawned to Kaoru that this is the first time he’s going to cook for Kojiro. It was always the other way around when he comes to his house.  
  
Kaoru shook the thought away to stop getting nervous but his mind doesn’t plan on making him relax for he soon started wondering what Kojiro and he will talk about later.  
  
Minutes passed and it was now time to eat. The both of them sat in silence as they started to eat breakfast.  
  
Kaoru can feel Kojiro’s stares and he wanted to call him out but he’s afraid to give away what he just realized recently.  
  
As soon as they finished eating, Kaoru was the first one to break the silence.  
  
“So what do you want to talk about?” Kaoru managed to ask, his clenched hands hidden under the table.  
  
Kojiro looked up at him with those sad eyes and Kaoru felt the urge to hug him.  
  
“I wanted to say sorry...” Kojiro says which made Kaoru confused.  
  
“No, I am sorry. I didn’t mean to just barge into your house last night and interrupt you－”  
  
“You were not interrupting anything!” Kojiro exclaims in a loud voice and Kaoru almost raised an eyebrow at him.  
  
_Look at this dumbass. They were clearly on to something when I arrived._  
  
“Is that it?” he asked him, wanting to end the conversation sooner.  
  
_‘I don’t know what’s going on between the two of you but if you feel something, you have to say it.’_ Miya’s words echoed in his mind and he sighed.  
  
“What...what happened back there with Adam?” Kojiro suddenly asked and Kaoru felt himself tense up.  
  
“Nothing much. I got rejected,” he calmly says when he’s panicking internally.  
  
Kojiro’s eyes widened. “You confessed?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
Silence.  
  
Kaoru tried to take a glimpse of Kojiro only to find him looking sadder than he was before.  
  
_What is wrong with him?_  
  
The Kojiro now reminded him of a big dog sulking because it wasn’t allowed to go outside. All he needs is some sad dog ears and it will be perfect.  
  
“So you really do still like him after all...” Kojiro mumbles and Kaoru didn’t know what to say.  
  
“I liked him but I don’t know about now,” he says, his hands curling into a ball.  
  
“What do you mean?” Kojiro asked but Kaoru didn’t answer.  
  
“Kojiro, what do you really want to talk about?” he asks him, bravely meeting his eyes.  
  
Kojiro only looked down and didn’t answer. Kaoru took it as a sign that the conversation is over so he stood up and was about to head to his room when a hand pulled him back.  
  
His eyes met Kojiro’s and before he could even say something, Kojiro leaned forward, placing a tender kiss on his lips.  
  
It was only for a moment but that moment was enough to bring Kaoru’s mind in shambles.  
  
“What－”  
  
“I love you,” Kojiro says, both of his hands enveloping Kaoru’s tightly.  
  
Kaoru could only stare at him.  
  
“I know you like Adam and you’re probably in pain right now because he rejected you but I just want you to know that someone out there loves you. I am here,” he says, not breaking eye contact with him.  
  
“I messed around with women because of you. I hope nothing changes between the two of us just like back then when you rejected me. We are best friends first before anything else, right? So－” Kaoru cut him off.  
  
“I didn’t.”  
  
“Huh?” Kojiro asks in confusion.  
  
“I didn’t reject you. As far as I can remember, i didn’t give you an answer back then,” he says and Kojiro’s eyebrows furrowed.  
  
“Isn’t silence a no? A rejection?”  
  
Kaoru clicked his tongue in annoyance. “I didn’t say anything so I didn’t give an answer. And what do you mean that I am the reason you are messing around with women?”  
  
“I did it to avoid thinking about my unrequited love for you!” Kojiro reasoned out and Kaoru retreated his hands from his hold and punched his chest instead.  
  
“Dumbass! Who told you that it was unrequited? I never gave you an answer!” he shouted at him and he watched as Kojiro’s expression change.  
  
“W-What did you just say...” he trailed off, his hands shaking.  
  
Kaoru sighed and held Kojiro’s now shaking hands once again. “Muscle-head gorillas never really use their brains, huh. I said, it’s not unrequited, idiot.”  
  
Kojiro didn’t say anything and Kaoru wanted to hide because of embarrassment.  
  
“Hey, say something would y－” His words were cut off when Kojiro enveloped him into a big hug.  
  
Kaoru felt warm inside and outside. His heart is thumping so loud and his body feels like burning.  
  
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Kojiro’s breath tickled his ear.  
  
“I just realized it recently,” he admitted, finally returning the hug and burying his face on his shoulder.  
  
He felt Kojiro’s hug tighten. “I thought you were in love with Adam this whole time.”  
  
“I thought so too. But I realized that I’d rather have Adam reject me than have my best friend kissing someone else,” he says and he felt Kojiro’s laugh vibrate throughout his whole body.  
  
“Idiot four-eyes,” he tells him, still not letting go from the hug.  
  
Kaoru let out a smile as he felt Kojiro’s lips on his forehead.  
  
“Feeble-minded gorilla.”

**Author's Note:**

> Here is Kaoru’s childhood lullaby only if you want to hear it. 
> 
> And here is a Matchablossom AMV that kept my writing juices flowing.
> 
> I am not a Shawn Mendez fan. It just happened that both were sung by him lol.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! Let us bring more love to Matchablossom.


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